Guidance for Caritas candidates

on submitting evidence for the Caritas Award

The big picture

Throughout this yearyou have been involved in experiences, learning and reflection which will help you in preparingfor thisfinal task:sharing your Caritas journey and its impact on you and others.

For your final report, you are asked to completea reflective piece of work entitled ‘Caritas: an Extraordinary Force in My Life’ in which youshould reflect personally upon Caritas, which Pope Benedict XVI has described as: “the love which God lavishes upon us and which we in turn must share with others”(Deus Caritas Est, par.1).

You now have the opportunity to look back, reflect uponand express the main features(not the details)of your Caritas year. You are also invited to reflect onyour spiritual journey, on yourfaith and values and on your future.

What should Iinclude in my final report?

Your reflection must be personal to you and completed individually. It should include the following areas:

  • what Caritas is and what it means to you
  • your key experiences and any moments of insight
  • the impact of yourlearning and witness on YOU, yourfaithand values
  • the impact of yourlearning and witness on OTHERS, yourparish/faith/school community

What format should my final report take?

You are encouraged to be imaginative in the creation of your final report. Thecompletion of this task is intended to be enjoyable and personally rewarding. It can take one of the following formats and should be submitted as a piece of writing or on a CD/DVD:

  • a recorded audio interview or podcast
  • a video ‘diary’ or interview
  • a PowerPoint presentation[1]
  • a writtenessay
  • a spiritual journal or blog.

How long should my final report be?

Whatever format you choose,your report should be something of substance. The quality of your reflection is much more important than its length and it should worthily reflect you and what you have achieved during yourCaritas journey.

While there is no strict word limit for the final submission, we suggest that:

  • apodcast or videoshould last no more than 8 minutes
  • an interview (audio or video)should last no more than 15 minutes
  • a PowerPoint presentation should be no more than 20 slides
  • an essay or written journal should be no more than 1,000 words
  • the sections of a blog could mix these aspects proportionately.

How will my evidence be assessed?

You must submit the following items of evidence:

a) final report; b) school activities sheet; c) parishactivities sheet;

d) Caritas Journal (optional)

Before you submit your evidence, you should be satisfied that it meets the following requirements:

  1. I have provided evidence of extensive personal reflection on my Caritas journey.
  2. I have demonstrated how my knowledge and understanding of “Caritas” has developed during the Caritas Award, with particular reference to Scripture and the teaching of Pope Benedict XVI.
  3. I have shown my response to my learning about “Caritas” by sharing key experiences and moments of insight from the award year.
  4. I have evaluated and explained the impact of my Caritas journey on my faith and values.
  5. I have completed 20 hours of faith witness activities in my school community.
  6. I have completed 20 hours of faith witness activities in my parish or faith community.
  7. I have provided evidence of the impact of my faith witness activities on my school and on my parish or faith community.
  8. I have provided evidence that I have reflected on how the Caritas Award might influence my future actions.

These are the success criteria which the Caritas Awards Board will use to judge your submission and to decide if you have gained the Caritas Award.

When must my evidence be submitted?

It is expected that you will speak regularly about your report to your peers and your Caritas co-ordinator. You should share plans and drafts, and take feedback on board. Your Caritas co-ordinator will let you know the school’s deadline for final submission of your evidence to them for verification and checking. Usually this will be a date early in March.

Completed reports must be submitted to the Caritas AwardsBoardby 31st March.

What help can I get?

Your Caritas co-ordinator will assist you with ideas. Help is also available elsewhere:

  • brainstorming with other candidates
  • reflecting on your ‘gathering points’
  • completing and reading your Caritas journal
  • family & friends
  • chaplain / priest

When will I find out the result of my submission?

During May you will be notified of the result and, if successful, you willbe invited to the Caritas Awards Ceremony where you will be presented with your Caritas Award.

[1]It is preferable that PowerPoint presentations are submitted as PowerPoint Shows which play automatically, including any audio or video elements. An alternative would be to submit video evidence of the candidate making the presentation.